A lot of bombastic shonen anime series come along that feature incredible fighters and gigantic spectacles, but few are able to hit the heights that Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has consistently hit for more than three decades. The Dragon Ball series continues to broaden its scope and take on more dangerous threats, yet the core values of the series remain the same as Goku and friends protect the Earth and grow stronger.
Goku has learned that his work as a hero is never done, and it’s pushed the powerful Saiyan to accomplish some amazing things, all of which only reaffirms Goku’s endless heroism.
10 He Helps Stop The Saiyan Invasion On Earth
Dragon Ball Z hits the ground running with the arrival of ferocious Saiyan warriors and a time-sensitive ultimatum that destabilizes Earth’s heroes more than ever before. Dragon Ball’s strongest have their work cut out for them and have to contend with Vegeta and Nappa without Goku’s help. When Goku finally does come back to life and return to work, he quickly makes swift work of Nappa and then sets his sights on Vegeta. Stronger dangers will threaten Goku and his planet, but this early demonstration of strength opens everyone’s eyes.
9 He Masters Training Under King Kai
One way in which Dragon Ball Z reframes the series’ status quo is by killing off Goku in its first few episodes. Death is far from the end for Goku, and it begins a whole new mysterious adventure for the Saiyan in the afterlife. This journey culminates in Goku successfully traversing Snake Way and then training under the prolific King Kai. Goku handles these accomplishments in stride, but there’s an extremely small percentage of souls who actually get this far. King Kai’s lessons become staples for Goku, but the mere fact that he masters this training is exceptional in itself.
8 He Ranks First Place In The World Martial Arts Tournament
There is no shortage of battles in Dragon Ball, but the series frequently turns to organized combat through various martial arts tournaments. Dragon Ball’s most prominent example of this is the World Martial Arts Tournament, a regular occurrence that allows characters to compete in battle.
Goku rises through the ranks of this competition and comes in second place in both the 21st and 22nd editions of the tournament, but he finally is crowned champion in the 23rd installment. This coincides with the end of the original Dragon Ball series, which acts as a very fitting confirmation of Goku’s hero status.
7 He Dismantles The Ginyu Force
There’s an expansive universe within Dragon Ball, and it’s allowed many of the intergalactic presences in the series to develop notorious reputations. One of the most dreaded forces in the galaxy is the Ginyu Force, a powerful yet unconventional team of mercenaries who Frieza turns to for any of his bigger problems. Vegeta, Gohan, and Krillin do their best against the Ginyu Force, but it’s the arrival of Goku that leads to their defeat. The defeat of Ginyu cannot be underestimated. Many planets live in fear of attack from the Ginyu Force, who suddenly become indebted to Goku’s service.
6 He’s Repeatedly Collected The Dragon Balls
Dragon Ball has been able to evolve in many impressive ways, and the series has reached such heights that the titular wish-granting orbs are sometimes even an afterthought rather than the driving force of the narrative. Admittedly, it was more of an accomplishment to successfully assemble all seven Dragon Balls and request a wish from Shenron back during the infancy of the series, but it’s still a privilege that few have had the pleasure of experiencing. At this point, the heroes can trust Goku to find all of the Dragon Balls, on his own, with minimal effort.
5 He’s Responsible For The Defeat Of The Feared Tyrant Frieza
There are many notorious evil forces that exist in Dragon Ball, and even though more powerful entities than Frieza have emerged, the determined tyrant is still revered as one of the most dangerous powers in the universe. Frieza has committed genocide against multiple planets, and he’s earned the reputation of a destructive force of change.
Goku is admittedly naive when he first takes on Frieza, but he does succeed in the villain’s defeat. This triggers a series of events following the power vacuum that opens in Frieza’s absence and the new level of freedom that’s felt in the universe.
4 He Often Introduces New Super Saiyan Benchmarks
Dragon Ball Z had no idea what it was getting into when it first pushed Goku to the new echelon of power, Super Saiyan, during his fight against Frieza. Super Saiyan is only the beginning, and a myriad of progressive transformations enter the series. Goku isn’t always the one to premiere a new Super Saiyan transformation, but he typically receives the honor. It’s increasingly easier to view Goku as the ultimate hero when he’s the one who repeatedly emerges with a new breed of transformation that surpasses everything that’s come before it.
3 He Gathers Energy From The Entire Population To Destroy Buu
A lot of the major threats in Dragon Ball boil down to a climactic conclusion between Goku and the new big evil. It’s one thing for Goku’s power to eliminate this villain, but Goku’s victory over Kid Buu is especially significant. Goku defeats Buu through a superlative Spirit Bomb, which assembles energy from the entire planet. Goku’s win here is important, but his true hero status is confirmed when all of Earth’s population trusts him enough to donate their power. In that moment, he’s elected as Earth’s ultimate protector.
2 He Saves The World From Baby’s Parasitic Infection
It often seems like Earth experiences a constantly rotating door of intergalactic enemies in Dragon Ball, and as soon as one is defeated, there will be another that comes out of the woodwork. Baby is a persistent villain out of Dragon Ball GT who holds a vicious grudge against the Saiyans. Baby is a parasitic organism who makes Vegeta his ultimate host, but he also successfully infects most of Earth’s population. Baby is ready to take out Earth and relocate to a new planet, but Goku is able to permanently eradicate this threat from the universe.
1 He Extinguishes The Threat Of Planet-Eater Moro
Dragon Ball Super’s anime has concluded, but the series’ manga is still going strong, and it’s reached a number of exciting story arcs following the events of the Tournament of Power. The Galactic Patrol recruits Goku’s help when one of their inmates, an ancient magic user named Moro, stages a jailbreak. Moro is a larger threat than Buu and Frieza combined, and the consequences are greater than ever before. It’s Goku who eventually takes out Moro, which is a staggering act that gives Goku a new prolific status.